Preparation time 10 mins - Cooking time 20 mins - Serves 2

Ingredients

120ml brown ale or porter beer                           150g Montgomery's Cheddar, grated

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce                    25g unsalted butter                    

1 heaped teaspoon English mustard                   25g plain flour

Chopped spring onions or chives to garnish      Freshly ground black pepper

2 large slices of sourdough bread

Method

1. Gently warm the beer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and set aside.
2. In a separate pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the flour to form a roux and cook for about another minute.
3. Whisk the warm beer into the roux, a little at a time, to form a thick sauce.
4. Add the cheese to the beer sauce, a little at a time, continually stirring until you have a very thick sauce that resembles a paste. Finish this off by stirring in the mustard and Worcester sauce.
5. Gently toast the slices of bread to your liking, before spreading each slice generously with the cheese mix, ensuring it reaches all the way to the crust.
6. Place the slices of bread on a baking tray and place under a hot grill for a few minutes until the paste begins to bubble and turn a golden brown.
7. Remove from the grill, season well with black pepper and garnish with spring onions or chives if you wish.
8. Serve immediately.

Serving

Welsh rarebit is normally eaten as it comes and without a garnish, however the addition of a sharp green salad, or some sliced radicchio complements it beautifully.